


Clockwork

by WildConcerto



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Reylo Fanfiction Anthology, Ring in the Reylo, The Author Regrets Everything, sadistic af universe, soulmate au with clocks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 10:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8976595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildConcerto/pseuds/WildConcerto
Summary: He is young, and there are two things he fears above everything else: death, and clockwork.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vickyshipsreylo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vickyshipsreylo/gifts).



> And here is my humble offering for the Ring in the Reylo gift exchange! One of the prompts was a soulmate AU: it's the first time I'm writing one, so I hope it's decent enough! I really hope you like it!

**_11 years_ **

_ I know all about waiting. _

Rey caresses the clock implanted in her right wrist, the small device the only mechanical part of her body. It seems to come from another age; its quiet tick-tock and the hands advancing on their own, without any small light or buzzing sound that usually signals whether a mechanism works or not. It’s prettier and shinier than anything else she possesses. But it looks  _ old _ , older than anything she has come across, even if she is a scavenger on rusty old Jakku and she spends her days digging out old fossils from the Empire’s fall. It has all happened before she was even born, making it already ancient history.

She waits for the day when her clock will stop, even if it means it will become nothing more than a lovely ornament. But in the end, it doesn’t matter: the clock is merely a distraction until the day she’ll meet her soulmate.

Every night, her clock’s ticking is the lullaby sending her to sleep, chasing away nightmares, reminding her that one day, someone will come back for her.

She dreams of him. She can never see his face – or perhaps she did, but she never remembers how he looks like when she wakes up the next morning. She recalls a mess of dark hair almost succeeding to hide big ears, an unsteady walk, imposing and uneven all at once, and a huge hand holding her delicate one, his hold soft and firm.

But as time passes, a nightmare engulfs her dream: darkness comes and swallows her soulmate before she can see his face.

All that’s left is a monster in a mask, and she awakes, her scream the only sound in the desert surrounding her home.

* * *

 

 

**_10 years_ **

He is plagued with nightmares that aren’t his. He is young, and there are two things he fears above everything else: death, and clockwork.

It always comes back to counters and their implacable red glow: they appear and implant themselves on the person’s left wrist, just like the soulmate clock. But in their case, they come whenever one’s soulmate will die soon.

In his sleep, he always sees a blond little boy in desert garb and a teenage girl with long tresses meeting each other for the first time in some shabby supply store. Between talks of podracing and droids, they gasp in surprise as they both hear their clocks stop ticking. A time jump occurs, and Ben sees the little boy again, but he is now a young man dressed in Jedi robes. He cries bitterly as he sees the fatal counter on his left wrist, mocking the clock gone peacefully to sleep years many years from then.

In her case, she has three months left. She’s still in her prime, and worst of all, she’s expecting.

Ben wakes up screaming every time, and over time, a more insidious voice whispers to him that someday, the same will happen to him.

Uncle Luke – or rather, Master Skywalker, as he must now call him – is incredibly patient. It takes time for Ben to finally reveal what has been haunting him even before his mother sent him with his uncle: after all, boys his age shouldn’t be having crying out of fear because of nightmares, even if they plague his mind hours after he has awaken. 

“Those memories aren’t yours, Ben,” Luke tells him, patting him on the shoulder.

“Then, who do they belong to? I keep seeing that man again and again. And… he looks familiar. I’m not sure why.”

Master Skywalker swallows and hesitates. “This isn’t important in the way you think it is, Ben. You mustn’t let yourself get influenced by them. Remember this, fear must never be the guide to your actions. It leads to the Dark Side. That is why the Jedi remained celibate. Not forming an attachment with your soulmate permits you to be better prepared to the inevitable and eventually let them go, and focus on the galaxy and all its matters in the meantime. And by taking care of the greater good, you will save your loved ones as well.”

“But… can’t someone save their soulmate by taking their place in death?”

Master Skywalker’s eyes widen. “You must always think of the greater good first, Ben. Remember who you are. Remember what your legacy is. The galaxy needs you, just as much as it needs me as well as your mother. Your sacrifice for your soulmate may seem noble and selfless at first, but your disappearance from the greater scheme of things may bring doom to the galaxy. You must learn to let go.”

But Ben stays ignorant of the true tragedy of Anakin Skywalker, and the nightmares remain. He is left unsatisfied, while that voice in his head comes and goes about how  _ useless  _ Master Skywalker is.

He doesn’t want to be a Jedi. He wants to be a smuggler like his Dad, hunting for relics without being restricted by Master Skywalker’s silly rules, and studying them himself. And he likes the idea of having a soulmate, Jedi rules be damned. He hopes she’ll be as fascinated by ancient lore as he is: having someone he can share all his discoveries with makes him giddy in anticipation.

When he has important assignments, he prefers spending his time frantically looking for tidbits of information about soulmate clocks and counters in the old Imperial archives on Coruscant. If Master Skywalker were to discover he spent his waking hours searching about something other than his duty as a future Jedi, he’d certainly get a good lecture. But considering his uncle’s sermons about inner peace and all that nonsense Ben feels that, perhaps getting a hint,  _ something _ proving that perhaps Fate isn’t so cruel after all, is deep down better than researching about people dead for thousands of years.

There isn’t much information – as if soulmate clocks and counters were something people just blindly accepted. He eventually falls across a document mentioning how Darth Plagueis would have discovered how to stop the counter’s inexorable rewind. Ben doesn’t pay further attention: he knows far too well any Dark side solution is a dangerous path.

Days, then weeks pass, and the nightmares of a terrified young man are replaced by complete darkness and the sound of some sort of artificial breathing.

He eventually forgets about the clockwork dream. But it still lingers in some faraway part of his mind.

* * *

 

 

**_Three months_ **

She stands in the middle of the forest, desperately trying to move, but she stays as still as the trees surrounding her.

She is far away from the ongoing battle at Maz’s castle, and the silence surrounding her is oppressing her – quiet, too quiet. Even Jakku wasn’t that—

_ Her clock is silent. _

She glances towards the nightmare cloaked in black in front of her, and she realizes that his lightsaber is lowered and his hands are shaking.

“You… you tried to kill me,” says a deep mechanical-sounding voice, probably the creature’s. It might sound distorted, but Rey can distinguish the inflections quite well. Whoever – or rather, whatever he is, he’s hurt.

_ And he’s her soulmate, of all people. _

“Why not?” she replies. “You come from the First Order. I know all about it. You were chasing me.”

“You shot first,” he retorts matter-of-factly. She stays silent and closes her eyes, half in defiance, half in hope this is nothing more than a bad dream she’ll wake up from soon.

Gloved fingers touch her face like feathers, and she can do nothing to turn away. She feels his presence in her mind, and wants to run away, afraid because she has no idea what he might do.

She hears a heartbeat.

His heartbeat.

Their bond is forming.

“The map! You’ve seen it!” There’s a trace of triumph in his voice, almost childlike, which only confuses Rey further.

She hears a small group, probably Stormtroopers, arriving behind her. “Sir, Resistance fighters. We need more troops.”

A small pang of hope comes to Rey. But it doesn’t last for long.

“Pull off the divisions. We have what we need,” the creature commands. Before she can make sense of what’s happening to her, everything around her suddenly becomes dark.

* * *

 

 

The creature is the first thing she sees when she opens her eyes again. He’s kneeling in front of her while she’s attached to some sort of platform, and she can sense his nervousness. His hands are still trembling, despite his obvious attempt to hide it, and she can hear him breathing.

“Who are you?” Rey asks. She tries paying closer attention to the softest sounds she might be able to hear, attempting to filter one sounding like the usual ticking of her clock. But no. Nothing. Without the shadow of a doubt, her clock has stopped, and she is bound to the creature kneeling in front of her.

He doesn’t answer her question. Instead, he reaches for his mask, unlatching it. Rey swallows, expecting to see some hideous monster like in some of her nightmares and –

No. It’s a man, with a youthful face and old, sad eyes. She even has to admit he’s not so bad-looking either.

She remembers all the small pieces of him she saw in her dreams. They all come together. There is no denying that the young man standing in front of her is the one she’s been waiting for so long.

He eyes her up and down, his mouth half-open and his lips almost curled in a smile, with a look of amazement she could have called endearing if only she wasn’t restrained on that chair.

She slowly finds her composure again, her shoulders lowering as she manages to reassure herself. She may look all set to go through an interrogation -- certainly something to do with the map, considering what he has said just before she lost consciousness -- but one thing she can be sure of is that he won’t hurt her.

“Tell me about the droid,” he asks, and Rey is taken aback about how soft his voice is without the mask.

But despite herself, she  _ wishes  _ \-- no,  _ wants  _ to trust him, but he is still on the other side of a war.

“I can’t,” she whispers, turning her face away.

She expects anything to happen: him getting impatient, frustrated, or even angry.

“Please,” he replies. She can sense desperation, as if her confession is his only hope. She knows that feeling far too well, even if she has fought so much against it her entire life, pushing it back, forgetting about it, concentrating on her empty stomach before anything else.

She outstretches her hand, attempting to bring him some comfort even though she cannot reach him because of her restraints. The corner of her lips twitch upwards, as he lightens up.

He starts reaching towards her, but suddenly fidgets, while his face becomes dark.

_ You found your other half. How fortunate for you, my young apprentice. _

The voice is so full of malice and disdain Rey can’t help but shiver. Unkar Plutt may have been harsh and cruel, but the malevolent voice has a refinement to it that Rey has never experienced before.

But whoever the voice belongs to, it has done its work.

The young man raises, becoming once again the Death-like creature she has come across in the forest, minus the mask.

But this time, something feels  _ off _ .

“Tell me about the droid,” he asks again. And this time, there is no compromise.

 

* * *

 

Leia remains impassible, as always.

Han wishes for a moment she’d get furious at him, at the very least, shoot him her usual variations of “nerfherder” or “scoundrel”, along with a few words Han is surprised she knows about considering her royal upbringing. It’s far better than seeing her staying calm in front of imminent death.

Delivering bad news has obviously never been his forte. After all, it’s not necessarily easy to say: “Hey, sweetheart, woke up with the counter on my left wrist. You know what that means, right? Mine says you only have less than a day left to live!”

For once, Han Solo has a loss for words. When he and Leia finally manage to be alone, all he can do is roll up his sleeve, showing her the counter while he turns his face away, unable to spare a glance towards her.

“Well,” she finally declares. “I might as well put those remaining twenty-four hours to good use and--”

“No, Leia,” Han interrupts her. “The Resistance needs you, more than ever. The Hosnian system--”

“I know,” she seethes, and this time, she closes her eyes, clenching her jaw, and Han knows her well enough to tell that she is doing her best not to break down. “I dreamed of my death last night. I saw where it’s going to happen. Starkiller Base. I guess--” she is unable to continue and takes a deep breath. “I’ll put that time to good use. I—I want to see Ben one last time.”

“No way,” Han replies, grabbing Leia’s hand. “The Resistance needs you.”

“Ironic, coming from the man who was so determined not to have any part in it.”

He remembers Maz’s words earlier that day. She was right. He runs. He runs because he is afraid to get hurt, again and again, even if he realizes that it still brings him pain, no matter what.

He is a foul-mouthed rascal to the core – but he is blessed and cursed all at once with the biggest heart in the galaxy.

“You know why I didn’t want to join you. Not everyone has your stomach of steel. I knew I would have come across Ben sooner or later, and I knew what to expect if that ever happened. You’re going to stay here. Lead the operations for Starkiller Base to be destroyed. I’ll go there, and--.”

He stops, knowing there is no need for him to say more.  _ If Fate is hungry for a soul, I’ll take your place in death, so you can live. _

Leia stares at him, her features unreadable. “I knew you’d say that,” she states, her voice flat.

“I’ve never stopped being a scoundrel, you know?” Han continues with a playful wink, and she  _ hates  _ how it still makes her feel like a giddy teenager. She knows he’s just trying to lighten up the mood. She wants to yell at him for being so light-hearted about something so important, but for once, she can’t. “I’ve run for long enough, Leia, even if my time for that is over for a long time. You just keep doing whatever noble duty you should do. I’ll take your place. But whatever happens there, I’ll bring Ben home.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Ben!”

Han Solo’s cry echoes, and it is so unexpected Rey’s ears start to ring.

She sees father and son approaching each other, and her throat tightens in anticipation. She has seen and felt it all – the abandonment, the resentment, the anger, and yet, deep down, despite his obvious efforts to hide it, he reminds Rey of a child who has disobeyed his parents but has gone too far, and who is now helpless in front of the consequences and just wants to go home.

She sees Han rolling up his sleeve, but Rey cannot see what he’s showing. Kylo Ren mutters something, but his words are incomprehensible. She sighs in frustration. Her optimism attempts to take over, as always (“Everything will be fine, everything will turn out fine in the end, don’t worry”), but she  _ hates _ not being totally aware of everything happening. 

All she can notice is Kylo Ren’s face twisting as if he’s about to cry, while clearly making a great effort not to, and it is horrible.

Han caresses his son’s cheek softly, speaking in whispers only the two of them can hear.

The last rays of the sun disappear.

In the blink of an eye, a flash of red pierces through the darkness, and through Han Solo’s body.

All Rey can hear is the sound of her own screams, while the world around her fades away in chaos and Finn drags her out of the place.

* * *

 

 

**_2 weeks_ **

When they meet again, it is at a time where she truly hoped she would never even hear of him again.

He pursues her relentlessly, but she is forced to admit it gives her at least a good reason to not go back to the Resistance base and face Leia.

She has disappointed them all, on so many levels: not only Luke has refused to leave Ahch-To, but he has also rejected all her attempts to convince him at least to train her, giving her no reasons whatsoever. After days of fruitless efforts, she could do nothing more but leave the planet, Chewie providing her some much-needed comfort as she wept bitterly in his arms.

Rey has lost track of time as she travels throughout the galaxy, hoping every time she punches in a new course that Ren might finally lose her track, but it is no use. She even starts wondering what is worse: facing not only Leia, but the entire Resistance with the bad news, or being constantly chased.

From time to time, Chewie has to make stops, of course.

The first two go smoothly. The third time, they are on Andelm IV.

Chewie is away, and she is staying behind, guarding the Falcon. She comes out of the ship to take a bit of fresh air. Her reflection that morning showed her a girl with dark circles under her eyes, a haggard gaze and a pallid complexion, just like…

_ Kriff. _

She senses him coming. But she isn’t afraid, she’s enraged. She is tired of running, and it’s all his fault.

_ Maybe Luke knows. _

_ Maybe Luke knows that her soulmate was that monster, of all people. _

_ Maybe that was why she had failed. _

She holds back a snarl as she grabs her staff, ready to face him.

When he finally enters the hangar where the Falcon has landed, Rey can’t help but be taken aback by his appearance. She expected – no, prayed for a faceless shadow in black, just like the first time she had seen it. It would make things much simpler: he would be an evil spirit and easy to destroy.

He is still clothed in black, but it is somewhat reminiscent of Luke’s clothing – except that instead of a robe, he is wearing pants and a tunic. He wears a cloak that might make him appear ominous in certain circumstances, but now… he looks like any other traveller. Except that he looks just as worn out as she is,, along with the scar she gave him.

She feels a pang of regret as she sees it. It doesn’t show that much – just a thin line crossing his face, that gets wider and redder along the right side of his jaw. She shakes her head to chase away any feeling of sympathy towards him. He doesn’t deserve it.

It’s not just the scar, though. There is something else. It’s in his body language: his mouth twitches too much, and she notices a slight trembling in his hands and legs. Rey even wonders how he still manages to stand.

“I’ve been looking for you,” he finally whispers, and Rey holds herself from rolling her eyes.

“I’ve noticed,” she hisses. She grabs her staff more firmly and adopts an aggressive stance. Ren lifts his hands as if he is trying to calm her, and she tries not to laugh.

“Please… I need to contact Ma-- just get me into contact with the Resistance. I-- I need to speak to-- to General Organa. I know you have her encryption algorithm.”

“General Organa” sounds wrong when he says it. Rey lowers her staff, but her defenses remain alert. She has hidden her comlink in some place she knows she won’t be able to hear Leia calling her to try and get news of her progress with Luke. She is in no mood to give Kylo Ren a favor.

“Why should I help you?” asks Rey.

He curls his fists, and breathes deeply. It is obvious he is making a superhuman effort (well, at least per his standards) to stay calm. “I’m trying to be… civil.” He swallows and reddens, probably realizing he sounds ridiculous. “If you let me contact General Organa, I will stop chasing you.”

“And how am I supposed to believe you?”

“I have a code, believe it or not,” he replies, while Rey rolls her eyes. “I never break a promise.”

He is staring at her, in a manner that could almost be solemn. For a moment, Rey hesitates. She doesn’t want to believe him. She has absolutely no reason to. And yet, she feels as if she can.

She heads back into the Falcon, but not before turning back to Ren. “Stay here,” she orders him.

She comes back a few minutes later, handing him the comlink. She forces herself not to glance at him, but he involuntarily tickles her hand when his fingers come in contact to grab the comlink. She scowls at herself. She should have handed it while holding it with her fingertips to avoid all contact. It is not because of some sort of disgust - she just hates how her heartbeat is accelerating.

She turns away and heads towards the other side of the hangar, not wanting to have to confront Leia with news of her failure, and especially not while Kylo Ren is around.

She sits on the ground, curling in a ball, plugging her ears to cut herself from the rest of the galaxy. She doesn’t want to hear any of the conversation.

She doesn’t know for how long she stays in that position. A hand on her shoulder interrupts her in her isolation, and she jumps up like a frightened cat. She sees Ren standing in front of her. His jaw is tense, and his eyes are lowered. He is handing her the comlink.

“She wants to speak with you.” 

She knows that this time, she cannot run away.

“Rey?” asks General Organa through the comlink. Swallowing, Rey takes the comlink from Ren’s hand. “General?” she hears herself asking.

“I can see you are not with Luke, anymore. I guess… things didn’t go as expected?”

Rey cannot reply, as her face twists as she tries to hold back unwanted tears. “Rey…” Leia’s voice is gentle, almost motherly, and it somehow makes it all even worse. “It’s not your fault. I’ll send a bigger crew for Luke, I’ll knock sense in his head, I’ll…” She sighs. “It’s not your fault, all right?”

Rey nods, even though Leia cannot see her.

“As for the rest…” continues Leia, obviously hesitant, “there might be a-- slight change of plans.”

“What?” Rey’s head shots up. She doesn’t know the specifics yet, but she has a nagging feeling she will not like it.

“From now on, my son will be travelling with you and Chewie.”

“ _ What?! _ ” For a moment, Rey wonders if General Organa has lost her mind. “But he—”

“Rey…” Leia sighs before continuing. “There is something we must tell you. Han… there was a counter on his wrist. I only had a day left to live. I wanted to go on Starkiller Base, but he wouldn’t let me. Supreme Leader Snoke had given orders to my son to have me killed. He didn’t want to. But Han went instead… and he convinced Ben to let him take my place so I could live.” 

* * *

 

 

Rey has trouble remembering whatever happened afterwards she has heard the truth. She remembers collapsing on the ground, crying, as painful memories she has tried her best in the last few weeks to forget about come back to her, playing in an entirely different way. Somehow, it is even worse: she can feel her soulmate’s conflict, now, and his pain, his fear of rejection from everywhere, of being punished for not ending his mother’s life just to get the horrible alternative of killing his father instead. Rey even wonders if it’s how death feels like.

She remembers when she was still on Jakku.

She was never frightened – to be honest, she didn’t have time to be. She never despaired, and she never gave up, and whatever unpleasant memory would come to her would be quickly shoved under the carpet. It was the method she had found for herself to survive and fight for another day.

This time, there was no escape. The soulmate bond has been muffled for months – probably because of herself and her hatred, but it has been unblocked, and the effect is like a destroyed dam.

She feels pain that isn’t hers, and she can do nothing for it to go away.

She remembers afterwards someone picking her up, and then getting laid down on what feels like a bed. She had remained curled up in a ball, a quiet sob coming out from time to time.

She probably went to sleep.

When she wakes up, she sees Chewie’s concerned face. She attempts to smile to reassure him, even if it’s hard.

She turns her head, looking for Ren, and doesn’t stop until she sees him. He’s staring right at her, and she turns her face away to avoid meeting his gaze. She’s still not entirely comfortable with the fact that she is feeling some sort of concern – whatever it is. She still doesn’t trust him, since he’s still not faultless, but she might be able to tolerate his existence.

Things don’t seem exactly easy between him and Chewie either. The Wookiee is not threatening to rip off one of his limbs, but it is obvious he is staying alert and wary around him.

After enquiring for her and making sure she will be fine, Chewie eventually fires up the engines to leave Andelm IV, but not before glaring at Ren one last time.

As soon as Chewie is gone, her gaze finally dares to meet his. No words are exchanged. There is no hostility, no fear, no sadness, but no positive feeling either – nothing.

For some reason, Rey likes it that way.

As she slowly drifts to sleep, she senses him removing a few strands of hair from her face and pulling up the covers to keep her warm.

* * *

 

 

**_1 week_ **

The next few days are quiet, but thankfully, there is nothing tense in the air.

He spends a lot of time with Chewie: the Wookiee slowly warms up to him again, and Rey even smiles when she sees Chewie ruffle his hair while he grumbles.

They sleep in the same room, since it is the only spot on the Falcon where there are sleeping berths. She takes the upper bed while he contents himself with the one under hers. Chewie is of course too big for any of the Falcon’s beds, and always sleeps in the cockpit.

On a night where, for once, he has fallen asleep before her, Rey takes advantage of the situation to explore their bond. She has noticed that while he has done everything to stay as private as possible, their bond is at its strongest when they are resting. While their lack of interaction in the last few days was in no way oppressing, she is forced to admit she’d like to know her soulmate a little better: things are still somewhat too awkward for a conversation.

It doesn’t help that she still hasn’t figured out how to call him. “Ren” and “Kylo” seem wrong, no matter what, but she has no idea how he would react if she called him “Ben”.  

As she explores the bond, careful not to wake him up, she senses peace in him. She finds it rather surprising, considering how much of an emotional mess he was at their meeting on Andelm IV. His newfound serenity stems from her presence. Her throat tightens despite herself. She had never imagined, even in her happiest dreams about her family, that she’d make someone happy just by  _ existing _ .

But there is something else, buried deep within. Fear.

It’s easy to guess its origin, of course – he’s on the run from the First Order and his so-called mentor, and he’s certainly always afraid of getting dragged back to a fate worse than death.

There’s more. She can feel it, as his sleep becomes troubled and he stirs, until he wakes up, panting.

She impulsively comes down from her bed, and gasps as she comes face to face with him.

Her lips tremble. She is unsure what to say.

“Ben?” She smacks her hand on her mouth. She has no idea why she called him by his birth name. Her impulsiveness might be the death of her…

He gets up from the bed, towering and staring at her. She doesn’t dare to move, not even to take away her hand from her mouth.

He slowly removes it for her, and his grasp is surprisingly soft. He doesn’t let go.

And, before she can realize it, his lips come and meet hers.

He is harsh, and desperate, and it doesn’t take long before his free hand reaches to her hair and his fingers clumsily undo her buns, while she is still too surprised to react.

When she manages to recover her senses, she pushes him away, her brows furrowed in confusion, because she hates to admit it wasn’t  _ that  _ unpleasant.

In the meantime, she might have pushed him away, but he still hasn’t let go of her hand. She wants to shake it off, but there is something—

She closes her eyes and concentrates on their bond.

“You… you’re afraid… that…” she mutters, and her eyes widen as she sees the truth. It takes her a moment before she catches her breath. “You’re afraid of losing me.” She shakes her head. “But how? My biggest threat was you.”

He swallows and looks away. “I can’t hide it anymore,” he murmurs.

“What?”

He slowly lets go of her, but doesn’t stop staring at her, as if he was afraid she would disappear. He rolls his sleeve up, presenting her his left wrist.

There is a counter.  

_ She has only one week left. _

The sound coming out of her throat barely sounds human to her ears, but she doesn’t care. All she can think about is that she doesn’t want to die. Not now. Not ever. It was the one thing she would never let happen to herself on Jakku, even in the worst moments. And it is not a stupid counter—

She feels him crushing her against his chest, his fingers tracing eights in her hair in an awkward attempt to comfort her. She pounds her fists against him, but it is in desperate anger against Fate, who is probably gloating at her right now.

“Rey… listen to me, please…”

Judging by the tone of his voice, he’s probably called to her more than once. She calms down, even if from time to time, a hiccup escapes her mouth.

“Rey, you won’t die, okay? You won’t die…”

She holds her breath, unsure if he’s patronizing her or if—

_ What? _

“That’s why I wanted to find you. To protect you and make sure you’re safe.”

“No!” she shouts. “You can’t do this. I’m—” She cannot continue.

_ Why do you care so much for me? Am I worth it? Am I worth being found? Am I worth to have anyone die for my sake? _

_ No one came back for me on Jakku. _

_ Maybe I was abandoned there. _

_ Maybe it’s my fault. _

“You have a life ahead of you, Rey. The Resistance will welcome you back. Me, on the other hand…” He chuckles, but he sounds pained. “It’d probably be better for everyone if I just disappeared.”

This time, she wraps her arms around his waist.

“I’ve waited for so long,” she murmurs through the tears. “And—you finally found me. I—I don’t want you to go. It--” she chokes. “It’s not fair.”

He doesn’t reply. 

 

* * *

 

**_3 days_ **

The First Order eventually catches up with them.

Rey is unsure of what happened to Chewie. She is certain that he isn’t dead, but she doesn’t want to know what they did to him either.

They put up quite a fight: General Hux had come, along with Knights of Ren who have rebelled against their former master: the highlight of it all is Rey managing to bite Hux while he was trying to restrain her, and she hasn’t missed Ben slightly smirking at the sight of it.

Fate is catching up with them both. They are separated, but not after another fight where Rey only remembers kicking whoever had a grip on her and trying to reach Ben again.

She is thrown in a dark cell, and it’s worse than in her nightmares. She curls up in a ball. She fears that someone is watching her in the shadows, waiting for her to show weakness.

“I didn’t expect to meet you again here.”

Rey jumps up, ready to defend herself once again. But in the darkness, she manages to see Maz Kanata’s petite silhouette advancing towards her, her hand lifted gently. Rey takes a deep breath, almost smiling.

“So, what happened? How did they catch you this time?” Maz asks without further ado. Rey’s throat tightens, and she pulls her arms around her to reassure herself. “I got caught with Chewie and—Ben. You know, Kylo Ren… Remember when I ran off in the woods near your cantina? I met him there for the first time. And—I discovered he’s my soulmate.”

Maz smiles. “So I was right.”

Rey’s head shots up. “You knew?”

“Yes. And he’s back, now.”

“How can you be so sure?” asks Rey, shaking her head. “I don’t even want to know what they could do to him, here. Finn told me about Stormtroopers getting reconditioned when they rebel. They could do the same thing to him.”

Maz takes Rey’s left hand and taps on her wrist. “I know your time is running short,” she says as gently as she can, while Rey does her best to hold back tears. “But Ben Solo has his mother’s courage and his father’s heart. With his father’s sacrifice and your mere existence, he will not go back to the Dark.”  

“Maz,” murmurs Rey. “I don’t want him to die. Even if it’s for my own sake. I want him to stay with me.”

Maz caresses Rey’s cheek. “There… there might be a way. I know about a practice long ago two Force-sensitive soulmates could do for each other. If one is destined to die young, the other can give them part of their life-span. If I recall well, that makes them pass away the same day.”

Rey’s eyes widen. “Is that possible? Why—no, how can you do such a thing?”

Maz shakes her head. “I’m not sure. It is a forgotten practice, since Jedi were taught to let go and Sith didn’t know love.”

“I’ll find a way,” affirms Rey. “I won’t let Ben die.”

 

* * *

**_5 minutes_ **

When they’re both brought before Snoke, they are both given their lightsabers back. Rey notices Ben’s head is lowered. She wishes he could look at her, see that she was confident, that she would find a way thanks to what Maz had told her, that she would save him, save them both…

She even thinks of stabbing Snoke on his throne and be done with it all.

_ Don’t think about it,  _ Ben’s voice whispers through their bond.  _ The Supreme Leader is powerful. _

“Such confidence, girl.”

Rey shivers at the sound of Supreme Leader Snoke’s voice. She lowers her head in caution, but remains alert. He leans on an arm of his throne in satisfaction.

“Do you know why I’ve brought both of you here?” He awaits their answer for a few seconds. “No? Well, it seems my apprentice is not only a fool and an incompetent, but he’s also unable to explain why he has disobeyed me, and blatantly so.” He waves his hands dismissively. “It appears as if I need to test him. It is... truly fortunate your soulmate is strong with the Force, my young apprentice. Therefore, you shall fight each other. Whoever wins will become my new apprentice. It is time for you to prove your worth, or to be killed by more powerful than you.”

Rey sees at the corner of her eye Ben trying to stay calm. But she can already see he’s ready to die at her hand, to give her her best chance.

She throws her lightsaber on the ground. “I will not do this,” she shouts, her head high. “I’ll never become your apprentice.”

“Well then, Kylo Ren,” says Snoke. “It should be very easy for you, then.”

Ben squares his shoulders. “I won’t harm her. You cannot force me.”

“You fool!” Snoke’s voice thunders in the room, and both Rey and Ben cannot help but shudder. “I’ve spent years forging you, Kylo Ren, from the day you were born. You were perfect… the perfect weapon… I will crush you if it makes you and me stronger, and you will never escape.”

Lightning escapes from his hand, and strikes Rey. She screams and collapses on the ground. Her lungs and her heart are burning, and each breath is agony. Her head hurts, and she cannot get up without feeling as if she going to get crushed. “Do you need another demonstration, Ren?” gloats Snoke. From the corner of her eye, Rey sees Ben snarls, but he doesn’t move. Another strike of lightning is coming out of Snoke’s head, and Rey closes her eyes as she tries preparing herself to the upcoming shock…

But she opens them again just in time to see Ben jump in front of her and taking the shock for her.

She screams, but she is covered by Snoke’s roar of rage while he discharges his fury on Ben, lightening after lightening, for what seems like hours.

When he finally stops, turning away in disdain, Rey manages to crawl towards Ben.

She grabs her left wrist.

_ Fifteen. Fourteen. Thirteen. _

She holds back a sob. Ben grins at her, but she can see the effort is painful.

_ Twelve. Eleven. Ten. _

“I did it, Rey,” he murmurs. “I saved you, sweetheart.”

_ Nine. Eight. Seven. _

Rey clenches her jaw, remembering Maz’s words, trying to find a way.

_ Six. Five. Four. _

There is nothing that comes to her mind. She wants to rage, but she knows giving in won’t help. For a split second, she meditates, then lets the Force guide her, whispering a prayer like she did on Jakku, even if she was still unaware of the great universe surrounding her.

_ Three. Two. One. _

She takes a deep breath, and kisses him softly.

_ She sees the string of his life, getting cut, but she grabs it before it flies away. _

_ She ties it to her own string, and she hears his heart beating again. _

_ They are one. There is no Dark, and no Light. Only the Force. _

Snoke is staring at them both, and he’s terrified.

He stands in the Dark Side, and in front of such a pure manifestation of the Force, he is powerless.

Rey grabs Ben by the hand, and they both charge towards him, summoning their lightsabers to them and igniting them simultaneously.

They plunge them in Snoke’s heart, and he crumbles into dust.

They look at each other, panting. They throw away their lightsabers and collapse on the throne in exhaustion in a tight embrace. 


End file.
